Chapter 5 — I’ll be very happy?

“Uh-oh, someone got caught by his wife,” Mira said, feeling an unexpected surge of delight. A mischievous idea formed in her mind; she wanted to mess with Dallas. Before carrying out her plan, Mira took a deep breath and dialed Dallas’s number again, eager to find out about the chaos on the other side of the world.

Unfortunately, Dallas’s number was unreachable. Mira felt a mix of satisfaction and frustration. She was pleased that Dallas was likely arguing with his wife but annoyed that her mischievous plan couldn’t be executed.

“I wonder how long he’ll keep his phone off. If he lasts until the day after tomorrow, I’ll be very happy,” she said, walking into Matteo’s room. Mira stayed in the room until noon, only leaving because she was extremely hungry.

Deciding to eat at the hospital cafeteria, which conveniently sold her favorite food, Mira bid Matteo goodbye and took the elevator down. She pressed the button for the first floor and quickly stepped out when the doors opened. Heading to the right, she suddenly stopped, spotting someone who had recognized her the previous day in the Japanese restaurant parking lot.

Pretending not to see her, Mira took out her phone and acted like she was on a call, successfully deceiving the woman. Feeling more at ease, she proceeded to the cafeteria. Joining the queue, she noticed many other patient visitors also grabbing a meal; being late even by a little would mean no food left.

Mira sat alone at the back of the cafeteria, enjoying her meal. No one joined her, even after she finished eating. As she was about to leave, a message from Dallas popped up. He informed her that he was changing his phone number.

“Do whatever you want as long as the money keeps coming,” Mira thought. She then paid for her meal and decided to take a short walk in the nearby garden instead of heading straight back to Matteo.

Feeling refreshed by the greenery, Mira found a bench and checked her savings on her phone. She smiled upon seeing a deposit from Dallas. “Thank you,” she whispered, feeling relieved that she had enough money for Matteo’s care through the end of the month. Her heart felt lighter now.

Lingering in the garden under the shady trees, Mira felt drowsy but fought it off. “I should get back to Matteo’s room,” she decided and left the garden.

Unusually, Mira chose to take the stairs instead of the elevator, perhaps to get some exercise or stave off sleepiness. She climbed the steps one by one, pausing briefly on the second floor, which was busier and filled with the sounds of crying children.

Continuing to the next floor, she passed several nurses and patient visitors. As she reached the top of the stairs, someone tapped her shoulder. Startled, Mira turned to see the woman she had avoided earlier standing behind her. She was half scared to death.

The woman grabbed Mira’s hand and led her to a corner. Initially, Mira resisted, but the woman assured her it was something important she needed to know. After a moment, the woman began to speak.

“I’m sure you’re Elmira Tabitta. Your appearance might have changed, but I still recognize you, Mira,” the woman said.

“You’ve got the wrong person. We might look similar, but I’m not your friend,” Mira denied, feeling annoyed.

“Mira, no matter how much you deny it, I’ll always believe you’re Elmira. I just want to say it’s not right to leave your husband or be with another man,” she admonished.

Mira was increasingly irritated by the woman’s unsolicited advice. She didn’t understand the circumstances that had led to this.

“I think you’re talking nonsense. I’m with my partner, not another man,” Mira lied. “If you’re here to spout nonsense, you should leave. I don’t need your advice.”

Mira then hurried up to the fourth floor to avoid the woman, whom she recognized as a high school classmate. She had hoped her changed appearance would keep people from recognizing her, but some still managed to ‘bother’ her.

Frustrated, Mira climbed the stairs, glancing back occasionally to ensure the woman wasn’t following. Reaching the floor, she felt confused.

“What am I doing here? Why did I come up here?” she muttered. Unsure of what to do, Mira sat on a provided chair, directly across from the OB-GYN’s office. She thought about her and Matteo’s marriage, which had yet to bless them with a child.

“How could we have a child when our honeymoon ended in disaster? Who knows when Matteo will wake up,” she whispered, watching a couple exiting the doctor’s office.

The couple looked mismatched: the man was well-dressed and mature, while his partner dressed casually and appeared much younger. They seemed unhappy, arguing even in public.

Eavesdropping, Mira heard snippets of their conversation, understanding the man didn’t want the baby. She concluded the pregnancy was unwanted. This reminded her that she hadn’t had her period in a while. Mira quickly took out her phone and checked her calendar.

Almost two weeks late.

“Am I pregnant? Could Dallas have gotten me pregnant? Am I carrying his child?” Mira wondered. But she hadn’t experienced any early pregnancy symptoms. Deciding to buy a pregnancy test, she hurried to the pharmacy.

With the test in hand, she rushed to the restroom, her mind racing. What would her parents say if she was pregnant while her husband was in a coma?

Mira quickly took the test, anxiously waiting for the result.

“Am I really pregnant?” she whispered, touching her stomach.